Flush box for electric sockets and plugs.



No. 650,432. Paten ted May 29, I900.

C. H. STEWART. FLUSH BOX FOR ELECTRIC SOCKETS AND PLUGS.

(Application m .1. 12, 1900.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

cnAnLEs II. STEWART, or OI-IICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssieNoR on ONE-HALF TO EDWARD n. LAKEMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

FLUSH BOX FOR ELECTRIC SOCKETS AND PLUGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,432, dated May 29, 1900.

Ap lication filed January 12, 1900. Serial No. 1,203. No modeh) To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi= cage, in the county of Cook and State of 111inois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flush Boxes for Electric Sockets and Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in boxes or receptacles to be placed in the floor, wall, or eeilin g, so as to be flush therewith and to receive and retain electric sockets and plugs; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and r 5 operation of the parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and specifically claimed.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a box or receptacle which when in place will be flush with the surface of the floor, wall, or ceiling or other surface in which it is located and so the exposed surface of the box or receptacle may be given the same color or finish as the surface in which itis em- 2 5 bedded.

Another object'of the invention is to so con struct it that access to the plug or socket may be readily attained.

Other objects and advantages will appear 0 in the description hereinafter contained.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying; drawings,

5 in which- Figure 1 is a viewin side elevation, partly in section, showing the box in position in a floor or wall and illustrating by dotted lines the position of the doors when access to the interior of the box is desired. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing one of the doors by dotted lines in its raised position and illustrating the socket and plug in elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan or 5 face view of the box with the doors thereof closed, and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the doors open.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

A represents a box or receptacle which is made of any suitable size, form, and material,

but preferably cylindrical, as shown. This box or receptacle may be located in a suitable opening a in the wall, floor, and ceiling B, or othersurface, so thatits upper or outer portion is a slight distance below the exterior thereof. To the upper portion of the box A is secured, by means of screws '0 or otherwise, a plate 0, which may be of any desired material and form, but preferably rectangular, as shown in the drawings, and is provided with a cen tral opening 0 for the reception of the doors D, which are pivotally secured on pintles d, located in the plate 0, near the side edges of its opening.

The lower surface of the plate 0 is provided with extensions 0 through which the screws 0 are passed to secure the plate to the box. This plate is also provided with horizontal extensions or ledges 0 which extend slightly 7o inward from the perimeter of the opening in the plate and serve as supports for the doors. These doors are provided at about the middle of their adjacent edges when closed with enlargements at, having openings 01 to receive suitable insulating-pieces 61 which are also provided with openings 01 for the reception of the conductor E, which is connected at one of its ends to the electric plug F, the other conductor E being connected to the socket 8b F, which plug and socket may be of the or dinary or any preferred kind. 7

By reference to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the insulating-pieces d are countersunk in the adjacent edges of the doors D and may be held in position by means of rivets d or otherwise. The lower outer portions of the doors D are cut away, as at 0, (see Fig. 4,) to furnish more room when it is desired to reach the plug F with the fin- 9o gers or an instrument while the doors are in their raised position. One of the doors is usually provided with a recess 6' in one of its ends for the reception of the finger-nail or an instrument to be used when it is desired to 5 open the doors, and for this purpose the outer surface of the plate 0 is also provided with an indentation or recess e communicating with the recess 6 when the door is closed.

From the foregoing and by reference to the loo drawings it will be seen and clearly understood that by usinga box of the above-described construction the exposed surface of the plate (3 and the doors D may be given any desired finish, so as to correspond with the finish of the surface in which they arelocated, and that when the box is in position access to its interior may be readily attained for the purpose of inserting or removing the socket and plug or for making the electric connections. It is also apparent that by using the divided doors, hinged so as to open from each other, the connection with the plug may be easily made and that when the box is in position there will be no projection from the ing therein and to rest on said ledges and to open from each other, said doors having recesses in their adjacent edges, and insulating material located in said recesses and carried by the doors, substantially as described.

2. The combination with abox or receptacle having one of its ends open, of a plate secured to the open end of the box and havingacentral opening and provided on its lower surface with downward extensions and also with horizontal and inward extensions or ledges, doors pivotally secured near their outer edges to the plate so as to close the opening therein and to rest on said ledges, said doors having recesses in their adjacent edges and cut-away portions in their lower outer portions, and insulating material located in said recesses and carried by the doors, substantially as described.

CHARLES H. STEWART,

W itnesses:

CHAS. C. TILLMAN, E. A. KNIGHT. 

